MLB best bets: Way too early AL Cy Young pick

Earlier this month we gave you our AL and NL Cy Young sleeper picks. And even though our NL Cy Young pick Dustin May is still a legit candidate, the same can't be said for Jeff Springs in the AL. Springs left his last start back on April 13 with discomfort in his throwing arm, but unfortunately, the bad news didn't stop there. Springs would later find out he needs Tommy John surgery and is going to miss the remainder of the season. 

Talk about a tough pill to swallow if you're Springs and the Rays. Springs had allowed just one run on four over 16 innings to start the season, and maybe even more impressive, had fanned 24 batters and walked just four. But now, the Rays must find ways to win without him. And for bettors searching for another AL sleeper, we're not sure there's one out there. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't bet on the AL Cy Young race. It just means you might want to turn to some of the favorites like Gerrit Cole and Shohei Ohtani. 

If Jacob deGrom wasn't back on the IL for Texas, we'd included him too, but as of now, Ohtani and Cole are the only two worth betting on. DeGrom can't be counted on to make 25+ starts and even though we're tempted to put some money on Tampa Bay's Shane McClanahan (+800), we want to see how the southpaw pitches in May when the Rays schedule gets much, much tougher. 

Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees (+300)

Imagine where the Yankees would be without Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole. Actually, if you're a Yankees fan, don't ... because you wouldn't like the answer. New York is searching for answers offensively with Aaron Judge out with a hip strain, but fortunately, Cole has been the reliable ace the Yankees paid big bucks for in free agency in 2019. 

Cole is 5-0 in six starts with an ERA a tad north of one (1.11). Cole already has one complete game shutout on the year and has struck out double-digit batters in two of his starts. And when you compare him to the rest of the pitchers in baseball, he's first or second in just about every category — wins (tied for first), ERA (second), innings pitched (first), starts (first), etc. You get the point. He's been one of the best pitchers so far this season, and considering his track record, we don't see that changing.